Petunia plant named ‘Fort Trailing White’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Fort Trailing White’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; large white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Fort Trailing White’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fort Trailing White’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely-branching Petunia cultivars with early and freely flowering habit, and unique and attractive flower color.

The new Petunia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Petunia×hybrida cultivar Fort Trailing Light Lavender, disclosed in a U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of the cultivar Fort Trailing Light Lavender in controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Fort Trailing White has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fort Trailing White’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fort Trailing White’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to trailing growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large white-colored flowers.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the parent, the cultivar Fort Trailing Light Lavender. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the cultivar Fort Trailing Light Lavender primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Fort Trailing Light Lavender have lavender-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the Petunia cultivar Sunmilk, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,319. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the cultivar Sunmilk primarily in plant size and flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Fort Trailing White’ grown in a hanging basket container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in De Lier, The Netherlands, under commercial practice during the late winter and spring in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures averaging 18° C. and night temperatures averaging 18° C. Rooted young plants had been growing for about eleven weeks when the photograph and description were taken. Plants used for the description were grown in 10.5-cm containers. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Fort Trailing     White. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Petunia×hybrida cultivar Fort Trailing Light Lavender, disclosed in     a U.S. Plant Patent application filed concurrently. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five to seven days at             temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six to eight days at             temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 14 to 19             days at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About two to             three weeks at temperatures of 19° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Outwardly spreading to trailing             growth habit; flattened globular in shape. Freely branching             habit with about six primary lateral branches each with             multiple secondary lateral branches; pinching is typically             not required. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 38 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 19 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 0.5 cm to 1 cm.         -   Strength.—Moderately strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to outwardly spreading.         -   Texture.—Densely pubescent; viscid.         -   Color.—144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 5 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Densely pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: 137B. Developing             leaves, lower surface: 138B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 143B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: 138B; venation, 143B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Relatively large salverform             flowers arranged singly arising from leaf axils. Freely             flowering habit with usually about eleven open flowers and             flower buds developing per lateral branch. Flowers not             persistent. Flowers face upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             late spring into autumn in The Netherlands. Plants typically             beginning flowering about 6.5 weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on             the plant.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7.4 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 5 cm.         -   Flower bud.—Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Length: About             2.4 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Color: Close to 137B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 5.8 cm. Petal lobe width: About 3.1 cm. Petal shape:             Spatulate. Petal apex: Retuse. Petal margin: Entire. Petal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny.             Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous. Tube texture: Densely             pubescent. Color: Petal, when opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 155A. Petal, when opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 155A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About             1.4 cm. Sepal width: About 4 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly             oblong. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal             texture, upper and lower surfaces: Densely pubescent. Color,             immature and mature, upper surface: 137D. Color, immature             and mature, lower surface: 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: Erect to about 40° from stem axis. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture: Densely pubescent; viscid.             Color: 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per             flower. Filament length: About 2 cm. Anther shape: Broadly             reniform. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: 158B.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 155A. Pistils:             Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About 2.3 cm. Style             length: About 2.2 cm. Style color: 145C. Stigma shape:             Flattened, three-lobed. Stigma color: 143C. Ovary color:             143C to 143D. Seed/fruit: Seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Petunia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Petunia. 

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Fort Trailing White’ as illustrated and described. 